Questions and Answers
Q: What is so different about Adept's Products and Services?
A: Our Software and Services are entirely developed and supported in the United States. We create and develop all of our products, never purchasing 3rd party controls. We leverage industry-standard software products, like Microsoft Office, Crystal Reports, Adobe Acrobat, along with GIS systems from ESRI. Adept Technologies maintains its own server environment at its server farms located in multiple locations throughout the United States.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise work in Virtual Environments Like VMware?
A: Yes, both our Web-based and Windows based systems are supported and run in Virtual Environments, like VMware. However we do not use VMware on our own servers. Client have the option of installing Adept software on their own dedicated web and database servers or to have Adept host the application for them.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise use any second party controls that you pay for, or require any additional licenses your company pays for?
A: Adept Enterprise software is internally developed. We never purchase additional controls from second party vendors and never will. This policy ensures that we have complete control of our application development.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise Support Windows Server 2008 R2, Visual Studio 2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2?
A:Yes, our products and services are 64 bit. All of our software products are developed with Visual Studio 2010 SP1. Our Relational Databases are developed and supported on SQL Server 2008 R2.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise have Spelling and Grammar checking like Microsoft Word?
A: Yes, All of Adepts Products have full Spelling and Grammar checking functionality.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise Support other languages other than English?
A: Adept Enterprise supports the language your workstation is running. If you have a computer environment runs Windows in French, Adept Enterprise is in French. Adept Enterprise supports all languages that Microsoft Windows supports. There is no additional programming needed.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise Support currencies other than the US Dollar?
A: Adept Enterprise supports the default currency set up in Microsoft Windows. If your default currency is the Euro, that is the currency Adept Enterprise uses.
Q: We have different Building Standards than the US, how does Adept Enterprise handle this?
A: Adept Enterprise supports the building standards that your agency inputs into the Adept System. When it comes to how an agency does business, regardless of whether you conduct business in the US, Europe or Asia, local standards will apply. As Businesses and Governments frequently change their standards, Adept Enterprise is designed to change without additional coding modification.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise use XML technology that allows sharing of the system and other data among department applications in a highly secured network?
A: Adept Enterprise has a centralized Microsoft SQL 2008 Server database. Access this database via Microsoft Active Directory or through Microsoft SQL Server security. Adept Enterprise communicates with its databases through ADO.net. Customers can share between departments simply and conveniently, as all of our software is based upon Microsoft .Net. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a platform-independent technology for describing data and for creating markup languages, XML's data portability integrates well with Visual Basic .Net based applications and service based systems like Adept Enterprise. This feature is already built into the system, and can be customized to meet the agency's sharing between department needs.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise Software full y support XML using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Universal Description Discover and Integration (UDDI)?
A: The Adept Enterprise System is written with Microsoft Visual Studio .Net. This Microsoft .Net application fully integrates XML support using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Universal Description Discover and Integration (UDDI).
Q: Does Adept Enterprise provide the ability for users to concurrently access and/or login to a non-application system. without having to log off of or disconnect from the application?
A: The Adept Enterprise system is a multi-tasking windows based system. The end user does not need to log off or disconnect from the system to use other applications.
Q: Does Adept Enterprise provide features designed to help the casual user navigate through screens without assistance , as in the case of the point and describe feature commonly found in Microsoft products?
A: The Adept Enterprise has the same point and describe feature commonly found in Microsoft products built into the system along with a search help system accessed through the help menu. Adept Enterprise is designed so the end user can easily navigate between screens. Onsite training is provided with the system and training manuals can be purchased.
Q: How does Adept Enterprise identify errors in processing and how is it handled ?
A: Error processing is handled throughout the system. If an error occurs, an error ID number and description will appear in a message box. The program will NOT shut down like older applications. It will continue, but the item causing the error will be logged. This new error handling is only available in .Net applications and is a significant convenience for the end user, as the program doesn’t shut down. Each routine and sub routine of code in the Adept Enterprise system has Error handling events built in. Because of this Error handling code, Runtime errors never occur in the system.
Q: Is Adept Enterprise supported on thin client devices running Microsoft Windows terminal services?
A: Yes, Adept Enterprise supports thin client devices running Microsoft Windows terminal services. Other terminal services like Citrix services are supported as well.
Q: Does the Adept Enterprise system allow for the simultaneous access of the same data by many users without compromising data integrity?
A: Yes, Adept Enterprise allows simultaneous access of the same data by many users without compromising data integrity based upon ADO and ADO.net record set access.
Q: What are capacity estimates (in terms of GB of storage) for the Adept Enterprise Database (if any) based on a five-year projection?
A: There are no storage limitations with the Adept Enterprise database design. The storage estimates are based upon the number of permits, inspections, plan reviews, citations created yearly and increases in Parcel data, Contractor data, Address data, and Business data. The agency should estimate 1 GB per year for a total of 5 GB in database size over the next 5 years. The SQL Server 2005 database can handle this with ease. Capacity limits will not be a problem with the technology developed within the Adept Enterprise system. Our database design and testing team tested query speeds with a database over 50 GB in size. The speed and access times, along with database integrity where not a problem. Adept does however, recommend using the Adept Enterprise Data Archival system to create multiple smaller databases out of the production database. The Adept Enterprise system has the functionality to access multiple databases at the same time. Even if an agency elects not to archive their data, we foresee no serious resulting problems. This is based upon the superior methodology employed in designing the database table and field structures.
Q: Does the Adept Enterprise system automatically lockout a user or workstation when a pre-defined number of unsuccessful log-on attempts have been made and does it allow a workstation to be locked out via command from a remote station?
A: Yes, these security features are included within the administration part of the Adept Enterprise system. They can be enabled or disabled by the System Administrator. The System Administrator can assign the number of times before the user or workstation is locked and prevented from accessing the system. This protects the system from hackers and prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing the data. The administrator can re-enable the user account and/or computer account when the issue has been solved.
Q: How does Adept Enterprise maintain the variety of documents that will be issued to customers? Describe the options for producing these documents such as: Utilizing preprinted forms, Built-in graphics functionality to create appealing documents including a variety of permit designs, Inspection "cards", Certificates of Occupancy, Notices of application, complete applications and decisions.
A: Documents are very easy to create and maintain with Adept Enterprise. Adept Enterprise can attach any document type to any permit or any tracking record within the system. The system uses Windows features, so whatever the Windows operating system can open, (comma) the Adept Access Enterprise system can open and save within the system. The documents system within Adept Enterprise is broken down into two types. 1) Attached Documents 2) System Document Templates.
Attached documents are just that, documents that have been saved in the system. System Document Templates are Word Documents that have been set up to pull information from the database and are printed out as permits, receipts, inspection worksheets, etc. This documents system is state of the art and very user-friendly. Any end user that has used Microsoft Word has the ability to create professional and appealing documents with images and letterhead.
Q: What is the maximum number of concurrent users the Adept Enterprise system can support without incurring any system performance issues, in anticipation of future growth?
A: The maximum number of concurrent users who can access the Adept Enterprise system before any system performance issues occur is 32,000 concurrent users. The bottom line is if your agency has good hardware, and a well designed network, then Adept Access Enterprise, with its Microsoft SQL 2008 database has the ability to handle the workload of 32,000 concurrent users without incurring any system performance issues.
Q: Is Adept Enterprise able to notify customers of inspection results, permit status, plan review status, and other pertinent information via email.
A: Yes, Adept Enterprise uses the default Windows email client to email customers with notices of inspection results, permit status, plan review status, and other pertinent information. This is a powerful tool because it employs the users’ Windows default email client, not a server based email system. It doesn't matter what email system the agency is using because Adept Access Enterprise simply uses the Windows default email system installed by the agency, like Microsoft Outlook 2010.
Q: What versions of Microsoft Office does Adept Support?
A: Adept Enterprise supports ALL Version of Microsoft Office. We recommend the most current version running with the most current updates from Microsoft.
Note: All if our products and services are state of the art and run independently. Service packs for Microsoft or for any other vendor will not interfere with the proper functioning of Adept software products or services. We recommend that our clients keep Microsoft Live Update running, and maintain software updates and patches current at all times. All versions of antivirus software on the market are compatible with Adept software products. Adept recommends that its clients maintain their antivirus and malware software current at all times.